Xavier facing tricky test from East Tennessee State

The No. 15 Xavier Musketeers went on the road and claimed their first non-neutral site non-conference win since the 2015-16 season by beating the Wisconsin Badgers, 80-70.
The Enquirer/Patrick Brennan

Xavier Musketeers head coach Chris Mack instructs the team in the first half of the 85th Crosstown Shootout college basketball game between the Cincinnati Bearcats and the Xavier Musketeers, Saturday, Dec. 2, 2017, at Cintas Center in Cincinnati. (Photo: Kareem Elgazzar)

Not excited about Xavier basketball's home game against East Tennessee State University? If that's the case, you likely aren't alone in that feeling, although you might want to reconsider.

A closer look at No. 10 Xavier's (9-1) home date with the ETSU Buccaneers (6-3) Saturday at Cintas Center (2 p.m., FS1) reveals the game is far from a step-over.

Saturday's opponent comes into the game on a four-game winning streak, which includes a win over a formidable Northern Kentucky team Dec. 6.

It's a Buccaneers team that knows how to win in the clutch, too, as the program went 27-8 in 2016-17, won both the regular season and tournament Southern Conference titles and advanced to the 2017 NCAA Tournament.

All things considered, definitely not an opponent to be taken lightly.

"I love their style of play," Xavier head coach Chris Mack said is his day-before news conference on Friday. "They play fast. They change defenses. Coach (Steve) Forbes does a really good job of having an identity. His teams really want to attack you in transition. They've got the Indiana transfer, Peter Jurkin, who presents a lot of size on the interior. Both their post players are really good at sliding you up the lane and getting over-the-top passes, and they're really clever about trying to get your weak-side help occupied. It's a big challenge... They're a good team on film and I'm sure that's what we'll see tomorrow."

ETSU also features a senior guard in Jalan McCloud that fits the mold of other guards that have given Xavier fits.

"He's quick. He's end to end. He's coast to coast," Mack said. "He uses his speed to his advantage."

Musketeers guard Quentin Goodin could find himself matched up with McCloud, but the responsibility of guarding the player will likely fall to multiple Xavier players in order to prevent the kind of performance other small guards have used to slay Xavier (see: Markus Howard of Marquette and Tra Holder of Arizona State)

And there are other, more unordinary obstacles facing Xavier Saturday.

The Musketeers are coming off a final exam week where academics understandably took precedent over athletics but the team practiced just twice as a result.

Also, the Xavier student section that supplies so much of the energy in Cintas Center on game days could be at less than full strength as the university is now on winter break.